Receptacle



Jan. 14, 1941.

D. A. SNYDER 2,228,787

RECEPTACLE Filed March 28, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 35 .1 71 I ii INVENTOR.

p mazaoz 595167 MAM m ATTORNEY.

,7 I BY 2 z Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" v RECEPTACLE Donald A. Snyder, Neenah, Wis., assignor to Marathon Paper Mills Company, Rothschild, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin v Application March 28,

3 Claims.

10 and means for retaining said partitions in position so as to provide compartments of'a predetermined contour adapted for receiving cartons having a complementary predetermined contour. Still another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle adapted to receive and retain therein cartons of a predetermined contour containing a material which expands upon subjection to freezing temperatures, whereby said cartons will retain their predetermined contour during the freezing condition. 7

Details of the invention are given in the following specification and appended drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of receptacles constructed in accordance with the present invention, supporting cartons therein,

Figure 1A is a fragmental perspective view illustrating a detail of the receptacle construction,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the receptacle show-' ing the partitions,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the receptacle shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an elevational end view of the receptacle, showing a second receptacle stacked thereon,

Figure 5 is a view taken'along lines 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the movable partitions.

The receptacle of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in carrying out the process described in Cocks Patent No. 2,109,102, February 22, 1938. According to the process disclosed in said patent, bulk ice cream and similar comestibles are packaged in cartons of large capacity, anywhere from 1 gallon or more. When such large cartons are fllled with'semi-liquid ice cream or other fluid substances the walls of the cartons tend to bulge out. It is therefore necessary during the fillingoperation to support the side walls of thecarton in order to retain the initial contour of same. After the cartons have been filled with ice cream or other comestible's, the cartons are subjected to freezing conditions in order to harden the contents. The cartons are retained in the receptacleprovided in accordance 1939, Serial No. 264,625

with this in vention during the freezing operation whereby they will maintain their predetermined contour. After the freezing operation, it is possible to remove the individual cartons supported within the receptacle and to place same in an- I 5 other suitable receptacle within a refrigerator for dispensing purposes.

The receptacle construction in accordance with the present invention is advantageously-made of rigid'metal rods, bars-wire and the like. As shown 10 I in Figure 1, the receptacle is constructed of av lower I0,'and'upper ll rectangular frame members. These upper and lower frame members are retained in spaced relation by means of a plurality of spaced vertical rigid rod members of suitable dimension. These rod members l2 are affixed to the frame members at their contacting portions by welding or by any other suitable means. As shown in Figure 1, the rod members I2 are placed within the interior of the frame members l0 and II, thereby forming foraminous continuous walls of the receptacle. An intermediate rectangular frame member I3 is positioned on the outside of the vertical members 12 and suitably aifixed at their contacting portions by welding and the like.

Spaced horizontal U-shaped supporting bars or cross-members M are aflixed to the lower frame member I0 as shown in the drawings. These crossmembers It provide the bottom wall of the receptacle for supporting cartons I5. These spaced closs-members are U-shaped in contour whereby a raised bottom is provided for the receptacle spaced above frame member It. At each corner of the receptacle, reinforcing corner members It are provided which are U-shaped in contour and are afiixed by welding or by any other suitable manner to the outer contacting portions of the frame members 10, H and i3. As shown in Figure 1, the upper portion ll of the reinforcing corner 4p members extends beyond the upper frame member, thereby providing projections extending from each corner of the receptacle. These projections serve to receive the corner portions of the bottom or lower frame member Ill of a second receptacle 5 2 which may be stacked or superposed upon the lower receptacle i thus retaining same in place.

The receptacle is provided with a medial fixed partition 20 which is rigidly affixed. Said partition 20 comprises a lower strut'member 2| afiixed at each end 22 thereof to the lower frame member ill. A tie member 23 is also afiixed at'its ends to the middle frame member 13 and another-tie member 24 aflixed at its ends to the upper frame member H as shown in Figure 1A. The fixed middle partition20. thus consists of three main spaced tie or strut members 2|, 23 and 24, amxed at the ends thereof to the three rectangular frame members of the receptacle. A series of spaced members are aflixed to the three strut members thereby forming the completed fixed middle partition 20.

As illustrated in Figure 2, auxiliary fixed vertical members and 3| are provided in the receptacle for forming guides which are adapted to slidably receive removable partitions within each of the compartments of the receptacle.

The removable partitions 35, as shown in Figure 6, are formed from a U-shaped frame member 36 and spaced rod members 31 and 38. The ends 31' of rod member 31 are not welded to frame member 36 but are slightly spaced therefrom so as to permit the sides of frame member to yield slightly at ll. A series of spaced members are aiiixed to the frame and rod members at their contacting areas whereby the completed partition is provided. As illustrated in Figure 6, the U-shaped frame member 35 of each partition is provided with a projection 4| which is adapted to slide past compartments being of the same dimensions.

Each of these compartments is adapted to receive a carton C of the same contour therein (see receptacle B in Figure 1). As previously explained, the cartons are constructed of paper or other similar material which will tend to bulge out upon being filled with ice cream or similar liquid material prior to hardening same. It is the function of the compartment provided by the present receptacle to support the lateral walls of the cartons while they are being filled with ice cream, and the like, as well as during the freezing or hardening operation. The cartons are, therefore, maintained in their predetermined contour while being filled as well as during the freezing operation.

It is advantageous to so proportion the rectangular frame members of the receptacle so that the upper frame member I I is slightly larger than the lower frame member I0, whereby a slight downward taper is provided which facilitates removal of the filled cartons from the receptacle.

It is also advantageous to space the lower crossmembers 2| of the receptacle at a sufficient distance above the lower frame member ID whereby when the cartons C or D are supported upon said lower cross-members the upper portion of the cartons will extend slightly out of the receptacle so that covers 50 may be placed thereover for closing the cartons while supported in the receptacle.

The receptacle constructed according to the present invention is adapted to receive cartons of different sizes, each of the sizes being proportioned so as to be a multiple of the smallest compartment provided in the receptacle. For example, the two removable partitions 35 may be entirely removed from the receptacle. Thereby two compartments are provided in the receptacle separated by the fixed central partition [4. Each of these compartments is adapted to receive a carton D which has twice the size of the smaller carton C adapted to be received in the smallest compartment, as shown in the receptacle B in Figure 1. In order to compensate for the space produced by the removal of the slidable partitions, it is necessary to insert the slidable parti-v tions adjacent the central fixed partition I. The upper receptacle B in Figure 1 has one of the slidable. partitions 35 positioned adjacent the fixed partition in order to provide a compartment for snugly receiving carton D. The vertical bars 50 and 5| adjacent each side of the central fixed partition I4, are so spaced as to provide a channel for retaining the slidable partition 35 inserted therein.

By means of the slidable partitions, it is thus possible to obtain compartments within the receptacle of equal unit dimensions or of dimensions which are a multiple or aliquot of the unit dimension. The lower receptacle A in Figure 1, for example, has the two slidable, partitions 35 placed so as to form four compartments which snugly receive and support four cartons C of the same contour and dimensions.

It will be noted that the present receptacle by virtue of being constructed of spaced rod members is provided with foraminous side and bottom walls. The partitions similarly are foraminous in construction. Circulation of air about each of the cartons supported within the individual compartments is thereby assured. This feature is particularly advantageous when ice cream is being frozen within the cartons contained in the receptacle. Circulation of cold air is assured around each of the cartons in stacked relation. The corner construction of the receptacle as well as the lower bottom of each receptacle permits stacking of the plurality of these receptacles upon each other within the hardening room, as shown in Figure 1, without having a crushing force exerted upon the-cartons in the lower receptacles beneath. I

The receptacle constructed according to the present invention is adapted not only for supporting the cartons during filling and freezing operations but also for supporting the cartons during storage. The receptacle also serves for conveying the cartons from the ice cream factory to the retail stores. The receptacles are extremely light in weight yet very rigid and comparatively inexpensive.

It is to be understood that numerous modifications and changes may be made in the construction of the receptacle herein disclosed and that it is intended to include all such changes within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle for receiving and supporting therein paper cartons of insuflicient rigidity to be self-supporting during the process of filling-said cartons with fluid or semifluid ice cream and during the further process of freezing, hardening or congealing the said ice cream, said cartons each having a selected size and being rectangular in shape, said receptacle comprising a foraminous bottom wall, opposed foraminous end and opposed foraminous side walls, a fixedly retained foraminous central partition within said receptacle and forming with said bottom wall, side walls and end walls, a pair of adjacent compartments, a pair of foraminous, removable partitions each adapted to be arranged in one of said compartments, spaced fixed vertical members extending from the top to the bottom of the receptacle and adjacent each side of the central partition thereby providing means for receiving and retaining in each one of said compartments one of said slidable partitions adjacent said central partition, each slidable partition thereby forming with the said bottom and side walls and the end wall of the compartment in which the said slldable partition is received and retained a compartment of size and shape complemental to and adapted to snugly receive and rigidly support therein a said carton, and a pair of cooperating spaced fixed vertical members extending from the top to the bottom of said receptacle and arranged on each of said side walls in each of said first mentioned compartments at a predetermined and equal distance from each of the end walls and midway between the said central partition and end wall to provide means in each first mentioned compartment for receiving and retaining a said slidable partition within a said compartment to thereby form with the said central partition bottom wall, side walls and respective end wall, adjacent subcompartments in each of said first-mentioned compartments, each sub-compartment having a. unit size and contour which are aliquot parts of the second-mentioned compartment to snugly receive and rigidly support therein during said process a paper carton having a unit size and contour which is an aliquot part of a said firstmentioned carton.

the walls of the receptacle are comprised of spaced apart wires, the wires comprising the end and side walls extending a selected distance below the bottom wall to thereby form a raised bottom for the receptacle, the wires forming the corners of the receptacle extending beyond the upper edges of the end and side walls to form corner projections to seat a second such receptacle stacked or superposed on it with the bottom wall of said second receptacle spaced above a carton received in the compartment of the first receptaclei DONALD A. SNYDER. 

